Sony STRDN1080 5.1 setup / configuration advice

[Brak]

Hello All,

We recently moved into a new house, and I replaced all our previous gear with the following:

LG 75" 4k TV model 75SJ8570
Sony STRDN1080 AVR
JBL Arena 180 front speakers
JBL Arena 125C center channel speaker
Klipsch R-10SWi 10" wireless subwoofer
SnapAV Episode Signature 1700 6.5" in-ceiling speakers
Oppo BDP-93 Blu-ray player (my only carryover component)
Apple TV 4k

The ceiling speakers are our "surround" speakers and are positioned just behind & above the main listening position on the couch. approximately 7' apart. The ceiling height is 10'.

The electrician / amateur AV dude who hung our TV also did all the wiring and hooked up the receiver. He's got it configured as 5.1. But in the Sony speaker setup menu, you can also choose a 3.1 setup, with 2 "additional'" ceiling speakers.

Which would be the best way to configure such a setup? The Sony setup process is somewhat confusing, and the manual is almost useless. I don't know whether to set up the ceiling speakers as a conventional 5.1 configuration during setup, or go the 3.1 route + ceiling speakers. And it's not clear how to hook those rears up for each mode. There are speaker connections for "surround back/height" or simply "surround". Any advice would be much appreciated, TIA!

 

[dbkmovies]

I'd go with 5.1 and hook the ceiling ones to the "SURROUND" outputs...so they will be your traditional "rears" in the 5.1.

If you add actual rear speakers and wire them to the "surround" outputs, placed behind your listening position, you could then wire the ceiling speakers to the "height" or "ceiling" ouputs for use in a more elaborate 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos setup.

Or use the ceiling speakers as "SURROUND BACK" in a 7.1 setup. (again assuming you add traditional rear speakers in addition to the ceiling ones)